There’s a lot of wisdom out there about the power of giving as part of powerful leadership collaboration. “Although givers are the most valuable people in organizations, they’re also at the greatest risk for burnout. When they don’t protect themselves, their investments in others can cause them to feel overloaded and fatigued, fall behind on their work goals, and face more stress and conflict at home.” So how do we manage our giving so our collaborations are as restorative to us as they are to others?
According to Adam Grant and Reb Rebelle: “Givers do the lion’s share of connecting, as in “Hey, Steve, you should meet my other friend Steve because you both love computers and playing pranks.” (These two guys went on to found a company called Apple.) They stick their necks out to sponsor promising people and ideas: “I know this show is about nothing, and the characters aren’t likable, but it made me laugh.” (Seinfeld got another shot at NBC.) Givers share their knowledge freely: “You know your adhesive that won’t stick? Why don’t you use it to create a bookmark?” (Post-it notes were born.) And they volunteer to do the heavy lifting: “Sure, I’ll take a crack at rewriting this script.” (Frozen got the green light.)
Meanwhile, our research shows that across industries the people who make the most sustainable contributions to organizations — those who offer the most direct support, take the most initiative, and make the best suggestions — protect their time so that they can work on their own goals too.”
